so i joined my local ARES group about 4 months ago after getting my general and the EC has been great about getting me up to speed on everything. ive been to a few of the monthly nets and even did the ICS-100 and 200 online courses like they asked. well last week he emails the group saying theres going to be an actual activation this weekend — county emergency management is running a full scale disaster drill and they want amateur radio operators to handle backup comms between the EOC and a couple of the shelter sites.

im pretty excited but also kind of nervous. like i know the theory and ive practiced on the nets but this is different. i guess my question is what should i actually bring and what should i expect when i show up? i have my HT and a j-pole i built, and my EC mentioned something about bringing a go bag but i wasnt 100% sure what that meant in terms of actual gear versus just being prepared to be there a while. any tips from people who have done this before would be really helpful

congrats on your first activation, those drills are honestly great experience even if they can feel a little chaotic at first. go bag wise just think about being self sufficient for a good chunk of the day — water, snacks, extra batteries for the HT, a notepad and pens (yes actual paper, youll use it), a copy of your ICS materials, maybe a headlamp if there's any chance things run into the evening. some guys bring a folding chair too depending on where you're posted.

the j-pole is a solid choice, bring some coax and a way to mount it if you can. the shelters usually have nothing in terms of antenna infrastructure. main thing though is just show up on time, listen more than you talk at first, and dont be afraid to ask your EC questions. the whole point of drills is to find out what doesnt work before a real event. youll do fine

yeah what he said about paper notes is no joke, i learned that the hard way at a drill a few years back when the laptop the served operator was using died and suddenly nobody had a backup of anything. now i always keep a paper log going no matter what. also if the EOC uses ICS 214 forms or any specific message forms ask your EC ahead of time so you can print a few and get familiar with them before you show up — it looks really good when you already know the paperwork and it honestly just makes the job easier. have fun with it, drills are low stakes but you learn a ton